Little Bird
by Lingua Dii
Summary: Kenny and Kyle got married and had a kid, but how did it all start?
1. Keith

This story is named after the children's song "Little Bird, Little Bird" by Elizabeth Mitchell.  
Also, I'm just letting you guys/girls know that, due to some real-life stuff, my updates will be slower than usual. That said, I assure you the stories will be worth the wait.

* * *

Love. The mere mention of the word summons images of people holding hands, kissing and proposing marriage. However, how does it all start? Kenny and Kyle's first child, Keith, asked Kenny that very same question.

"Alright, Keith, it's time for bed. What story do you want me to read you tonight?"  
"...Dad, how did you and daddy fall in love?"  
"That's a very long story. I doubt you'll be able to stay awake through all of it."  
"C'mon, dad..."  
"Alright..." Kenny sighed. "It was about thirty years ago..."

* * *

**THIRTY THREE YEARS AGO**

The sun was shining brightly all over South Park, slowly melting the snow accumulated on the sidewalks and streets. The adults were carefully driving around, and all the children were at school, having fun in recess. Four boys – Kenny, Kyle, Stan and Cartman – were discussing what to do after school.

"We could sneak in to the movie theater to see the new Terrence and Phillip movie." Cartman suggested.  
"That's for grown-ups..." Kyle said shyly.  
"Oh, come on, Kyle! Are you scared?"

Cartman's tone only made Kyle feel more uneasy about his suggestion, which lowered his volume somewhat and made him bow his head.

"No... I just don't think it's right..."  
"Seriously? C'mon; everyone does it."  
"Hey, leave him alone!" Kenny yelled.  
"Oh, look, standing up for your boyfriend."

"_I wish._" Kyle thought.

"Just shut up, fatass." Stan said. "What movie do you want to watch, Kyle?"  
"I dunno..."

Kyle had always been one of the shyest boys in the school, but it only got worse when he started to develop feelings for Kenny. He didn't know what was going on with his body, and he was too scared to talk to anyone about it. His brother was practically still a baby, and he thought his parents would think he was a freak.

"_Boys aren't supposed to like other boys._" Kyle thought.

"Well, let's do something else then. Why don't we go to the burger joint near Kyle's house?"  
"Sure, that works." Kenny said.  
"Fine; whatever." Cartman replied.

* * *

Later that afternoon, the boys met at the burger joint, as agreed, and were happily eating their burgers. Cartman, unsurprisingly, had the most burgers out of all four boys, along with several fries. Kenny had less burgers than everyone else, due to his family's money problems, but Kyle happily shared his with him. He had bought more burgers with the intent of sharing them with Kenny, but he knew that if Kenny knew it, he'd never accept them. Although Kyle felt bad for basically lying to his friend, he knew it was the right thing to do.

"So what do you guys think about Wendy?"  
"Why do you ask, Cartman?"  
"I dunno... I think she's kinda cute."  
"Like **anyone** would be interested in a fatty like you."  
"Shut up, blondie." said Cartman as he shoved several fries into his mouth.

"_If only you'd stop eating like a pig, maybe you'd stop looking like one._"

The boys finished their food and headed home.

* * *

Kyle's home was closest to the burger joint, so he was the first one to leave the group.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow."

* * *

Much to his displeasure, Cartman lived closest to Kyle, so he was the second to split from the group, leaving Kenny and Stan on their own.

"Did you notice Kyle's acting a bit stranger than usual?"  
"Yeah. He didn't even react when Cartman picked on him. Usually he'd flip out and punch him or something."  
"He's not very strong; Cartman barely flinches when Kyle punches him. Maybe he's realized that too."  
"Yeah, maybe..."  
"...You were quick to stand up for him, though."

Kenny looked at Stan, who had a knowing smile on his face.

"What are you trying to say, Stan?"  
"I'm just saying, maybe you think of Kyle as more than a friend..."  
"Dude, you've stood up for him too. Does that mean you're into him?"  
"The difference is that I **know** I only think of him as a friend. I don't know how you feel about him, though."  
"...He's way too sheltered for my liking."

"_But you **do** like guys... I should've known._"

* * *

**PRESENT**

"Wait, how did you know what he was thinking?" Keith asked.  
"You'll see when I tell you the rest of the story."

* * *

**THIRTY THREE YEARS AGO**

Kenny and Stan walked for a couple more minutes until they reached Stan's house. Stan then headed off inside, leaving Kenny on his own. The boy was used to being alone, so he didn't even notice the difference. He entertained himself by thinking about his friends; specifically Kyle.

"_I wonder why Kyle is so quiet... Maybe I should talk to him more._"

* * *

Kenny finally reached his home after almost ten minutes of walking, and headed into his room.

"_I wish I lived closer to school... I hate having to walk so much every day... Although it is keeping me in shape._"

Kenny was getting ready to do his homework, but gave up after a few minutes of staring at it.

"_Damn. I wish I was smarter... like Kyle. He really is smart... Kinda cute too. Although he's way too shy for my liking._"

* * *

Later that night, in Kyle's home, the red-haired boy had just gone to sleep. He knew what usually followed him falling asleep, and that night was no different.

"Kyle. Open your eyes."

"_Here we go..._"

Kyle opened his eyes and saw what he expected – Kenny standing over his bed. He smiled and yawned loudly, stretching himself at the same time.

"Hey, Ken... Where are you gonna take me this time?"

Kyle had been having recurring dreams about Kenny for several weeks. In each of them, Kenny appeared and took Kyle away to a far-off place where he experienced something new, and time itself appeared to stand still every time he looked into Kenny's eyes.

"Tonight we're going sky-diving. Just give me your hand and I'll take you there."

Kenny extended his arm toward Kyle, who took his hand without hesitation. He was instantly teleported to an airplane, where he put on sky-diving gear and waited for the location of the jump.

"Ready?!" yelled Kenny, trying to overcome the noise created by the plane.  
"Yeah!"

The boys jumped one after the other, getting back together as they were falling toward the ground. The noise created by their free-fall was oddly absent; something Kyle noticed but dismissed.  
Kyle knew it was just a dream, but there was something about it that excited him beyond what most real things could. He looked into Kenny's eyes, and everything stood still. The boys were no longer falling; they were floating in mid-air. After a while, they resumed their drop, but Kyle never stopped thinking about the moment when everything froze.  
Kyle opened his parachute almost at the same time as Kenny, and their descent was slowed down severely, until they finally hit the ground, in a remote island. The water around them was clear, and the beach seemed to go on forever. The boys changed into their swimming suits and went for a dip in the warm water. They played until Kyle became exhausted and dragged himself back onto the sand, where he lied down in the shade.

"Tired already?" Kenny asked.  
"Yeah. You're not?"  
"No, because, unlike you, I work out every day. You should try it."  
"...You're not even real. You're just... an idea."  
"It's good advice anyway, right?"  
"Right..."

Kenny lied down next to Kyle and smiled at him.

"You're so pretty, Kyle... I'm glad we're together."  
"We're not really together... This isn't real."  
"It's real enough."  
"Not for me... I want **you**, Kenny. The **real** you."  
"I know, but... have you ever thought about just **telling me** how you feel?"  
"You'd freak."  
"I wouldn't. You're my friend, Kyle."

Kyle stared at Kenny with a doubting expression on his face, so the blond boy quickly changed his argument.

"Fine. If you won't tell me, why not tell your mom? If you're having doubts, I'm sure she could help you out."  
"...I can't."  
"Kyle, you need to trust other people. If you can't trust your own family, who can you trust?"  
"...You're right."  
"Seriously?"  
"Yeah."  
"Well, that's... great! I'm sure it'll go well."

"_I'm not so sure._" Kyle thought.

Kenny moved closer to Kyle, with only one thing on his mind. Kyle noticed Kenny's change in demeanor and smiled, because he knew what came next. Kenny closed in further and placed his lips on Kyle's, giving him a short kiss. Kyle felt ecstatic and smiled even more, which the blond boy noticed.

"Am I doing that?" Kenny asked, smiling.  
"Yeah..." Kyle said shyly.  
"C'mon; don't tell me you're getting shy now..."  
"I dunno..."

Kenny realized Kyle was beginning to close himself off from him and decided to lighten up on the romance. However, before he could say anything else, Kyle woke up. He got up, looked around and realized it was past midnight, and began to wonder why he had woken up so early.

"_Weird... I usually don't wake up until morning..._"

After a while, Kyle decided that the reason for him waking up was meaningless, and instead focused on the main point of his dream.

"_Maybe Kenny was right. Maybe I **should** tell mom... I mean, what's the worst that could happen?_"

Kyle lied back down and closed his eyes, desperately trying to fall asleep and go back to his dream.

After a few minutes, Kyle fell asleep again, and, much to his contentment, resumed his dream sequence.

"Hey, Kyle. Welcome back."

Kyle smiled at Kenny and gave him a big kiss on the cheek, blushing ferociously as he did.

* * *

**PRESENT**

Keith had finally fallen asleep, so Kenny interrupted the story to follow his example. He lied down on the bed he had shared with Kyle for almost twenty years and Kyle asked what was on his mind.

"What took you so long?"  
"Keith wanted to know how we fell in love."  
"What did you tell him?"  
"I started telling him our story from a few weeks before you decided to tell me you liked me, but he fell asleep. I barely got through the first day."

Both men closed their eyes, until Kenny realized something.

"You know... our thirty-third anniversary is in two days."

"_I can't believe you still remember that... You really are a great husband._"

"Yeah, it is..."  
"Do you wanna celebrate it?"  
"I dunno... I have tons of work to do."  
"It's the weekend."  
"Oh, right..."

Kenny noticed Kyle was hesitant to confirm his desire to celebrate their anniversary; an action they had done for as long as they'd been together. Not wanting to have an argument, Kenny decided to drop the issue.

"...Look, Kyle, if you don't want to do it, it's fine."  
"I'm sorry... It's just... I dunno. I guess I feel kinda old."  
"We're barely middle-age... Maybe you just need some fun, to remind you of what it's like to be young."  
"Maybe..."  
"Tell you what: I'll make plans, and, if you're not OK with them, we'll cancel."  
"Sure, Ken... Thanks."

Both men smiled at each other and closed their eyes, with Kyle falling asleep shortly afterward. Kenny stayed awake for several hours, trying to come up with a way to get Kyle in touch with his inner child.

"_What did Kyle like to do when we were kids? Maybe the arcade... Nah... I never liked it that much myself. I don't want to end up resenting Kyle._"

After a while, Kenny had almost given up on finding a solution, until one popped into his head out of nowhere.

"_Maybe... an amusement park? Roller coasters, fun houses... Kyle would love that! Besides, I haven't been in one in years._"

Kenny had finally found the perfect solution for his problem.

"_If this doesn't work, nothing will._" Kenny thought.

Kenny closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep, but he had become too excited with his own idea to do so.

"_Great. I'm gonna be exhausted tomorrow._"


	2. School

I finished reading "The Call of Cthulhu" a few days ago, so I've started my work on the next group of stories sharing the same storyline. If all goes well, they might be the best stories I've ever written. All based on Lovecraft's work, obviously.  
I recommend "The Call of Cthulhu" to anyone who hasn't read it before. It's short (must've been 50 pages or less), but it's good.

* * *

Keith woke up to the sound of his alarm clock at exactly 6 AM. He slammed the snooze button a few times over a course of ten minutes, until he finally got up and dragged himself to the bathroom, yawning loudly along the way. He could overhear his parents talking in the kitchen, but he couldn't understand what they were saying.

"_I'm still half asleep, so it's no wonder..._"

* * *

Meanwhile, as Keith prepared himself to take a hot shower, Kenny and Kyle were discussing the idea Kenny had had the previous night. Kenny was cooking, and Kyle was patiently waiting for the pancakes his husband was making.

"An amusement park?"  
"Yeah."  
"That sounds... awesome!"

Kenny was a bit unsure of his decision when Kyle hesitated to speak his mind, but was relieved when Kyle revealed his opinion. He smiled and kissed Kyle on the cheek, making the latter smile and giggle, before getting back to making breakfast for his family.

* * *

A few minutes later, Kenny and Kyle were patiently waiting for Keith to come down so they could have breakfast together.

"Keith! Breakfast's getting cold!"

"_I can't believe I used to eat pop tarts for breakfast._" Kenny thought. "_I'm so glad I got together with Kyle..._"

"Sorry for the delay." Keith said. "I was on the phone with Aaron."  
"I'm surprised he's even awake at this hour. Isn't he usually late to school every day?" Kenny asked.  
"He's been trying to get to school on time."

"_'Trying' being the operative word._" Kyle thought. "_He takes after his dad. I still remember when Stan used to arrive late almost every day because he was daydreaming about Wendy... At least now he got what he wanted, like I did._"

Keith finished his breakfast first, closely followed by Kenny and Kyle. After they were done, they placed their dishes in the dishwasher and Kenny and Keith got in the car, headed for Keith's school, whereas Kyle headed for the office where he had been working for over a decade.

* * *

It was a short trip to Keith's school, so there was barely enough time for Keith and his father to talk about anything important.

"So how's school going? Do you have lots of friends?"

"_I know I've asked you this before, but I wanna see if there's something you don't want to say in front of Kyle._"

"It's going OK, I guess... I have quite a few friends, but mostly I just hang out with Aaron, Dave and Ricky."

"_I still can't believe Cartman found a woman who's able to stand him and had a kid... I didn't even think he wanted kids. Must've been her idea._"

* * *

Kenny drove for a few more minutes and arrived at Keith's school: the same school Kenny, Kyle and all of their friends once went to.

"Alright, I'll pick you up later today."  
"You sure, dad? It's fine if you don't; I can walk home."  
"It's OK, kiddo. I'll be back later today."  
"Thanks dad."

Keith kissed Kenny on the cheek and quickly exited the car, heading toward his friends. Kenny sat there and watched until the four boys went inside the large building.

"_Have fun, Keith._"

* * *

Inside the school, Keith and his friends were discussing their math homework.

"What answer did you get for 3?" Dave asked.  
"Two." Keith replied.  
"Damn. I must've made a mistake then."  
"Maybe I did."  
"Nah. You're too smart for that."  
"I'm not that smart..."  
"Sure you are!" Aaron yelled. "You take after your dad."  
"Which one?" Ricky mockingly asked.  
"Kyle, you idiot."

"_Ricky certainly takes after **his** dad... Dad always said Eric used to be like that._"

"Alright, this is my classroom. I'll see you guys in recess." Aaron said.

Aaron was the youngest of Stan's sons, born about two years after Dave, but his personality didn't match his age. He was smarter than all the other boys his age and more mature than them. It made him an outcast in his class, but the other three boys – Keith, Dave and Ricky – readily accepted him as a member of their group. Aaron was glad to have a group of friends he could trust, even if they were older than him.

"Keith, you seem sleepier than usual. Is everything alright?"  
"Nah... I had nightmares all night, so I could barely sleep."  
"Well, try to stay awake during class."  
"I will."

The boys headed into their classroom, where their teacher was already waiting for them. They sat down in their respective seats and prepared themselves mentally and physically for their last school day of the week.

* * *

Recess came around, and the four boys gathered together near the edge of the schoolyard. They talked about everything that came to their minds.

"Did you know our dads were also a group?"  
"Yeah. My dad told me about that."  
"**My** dad told me was the leader of the group."  
"Right, Ricky. Your dad was the greatest." Keith said sarcastically.

"_You look just like him too._"

Cartman's sense of superiority didn't fade over the years. Rather, it only increased the more time he spent around Kenny, Kyle and Stan. After his first child was born, he filled his head with ridiculous tales of his exploits. Ricky bought every one of them, memorizing every detail his father told him. At first, Ricky's mother was upset with Cartman telling tall tales to their son, but, eventually, she realized it was all Cartman's self-defense mechanism at work. She accepted him for who he was, defects and all.

* * *

Later that day, after school was over, instead of heading home with his friends as usual, Keith stayed behind to wait for Kenny to come pick him up.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow." Keith said.  
"See ya!"  
"Goodbye."  
"We'll talk later."

Keith watched his friends getting farther and farther away, until they were too far to see.

* * *

Keith waited for several minutes for his father to return, but he didn't show up. All of his classmates had already left, leaving him alone.  
Just as Keith was about to head home on his own, Kenny showed up, obviously aware of his tardiness.

"Keith! I'm so sorry. I couldn't get out of work sooner."  
"It's OK, dad." said Keith as he kissed Kenny on the cheek.

"_It's really not._" Kenny thought as he drove away.

* * *

Kenny drove Keith back home, where Kyle was cooking dinner.

"Hey guys. What took you so long? I was starting to get worried."  
"I had to leave work a little late, so I couldn't pick up Keith until now."  
"Well, dinner's almost ready, so you guys should go get ready."  
"Thanks, daddy."

Keith kissed Kyle on the cheek and rushed upstairs to brush his teeth and do his homework. Kenny, on the other hand, put his arms around Kyle and softly kissed the back of his neck.

"Kenny, you know that tickles." Kyle laughed.  
"Don't pretend you don't like it."  
"K-Kenny! I'm trying to cook! That tickles!"  
"It's fine. Keith is upstairs, doing his homework. We have lots of time for ourselves."

Kenny kissed the back of Kyle's neck several more times, earning lots of giggles from the red-haired boy.

* * *

Dinner time came around, and Keith had finished his homework. The three youngest members of the McCornmick family sat at their dinner table, where they enjoyed another one of Kyle's creations.

"Wow, daddy, this is delicious."  
"Thanks, Keith... So, how was school?"  
"It was OK. Kinda boring, as usual..."

* * *

After Kenny finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher and kissed Kyle goodnight, he went into Keith's room, to resume his story.

"So, here's part two of the story."  
"Hit me."

"_You're starting to sound like Kyle._"

* * *

**THIRTY THREE YEARS AGO**

Kyle woke up at around 7 AM, with only one thing on his mind – telling his mom about his feelings for Kenny and ask her for an explanation as to their origin.

"_C'mon, Kyle... Focus. It's just routine conversation. Just tell her about your day, like always. Focus..._"

Kyle approached his mother, heart nearly bursting through his chest, and coughed loudly. She acknowledged him with a grunt and went back to making breakfast for herself, her husband and her children.

"H-Hey, mom."  
"Hey, Kyle. Did you sleep well?"  
"Yeah..."

Kyle stood there for a few minutes, feeling extremely uncomfortable about his decision. However, he simply focused on Kenny and how much he wanted to know what was going on in his head and finally said the words he had been unable to say since it all started.

"M-Mom, I... I think I like another boy."

Sheila dropped the items she was holding, scaring Kyle. She looked at him, eyes wide open and mouth agape, which only added to Kyle's anxiety.

"What?!"  
"I... think I like another boy." said Kyle as he stared at the floor.

Sheila's mind raced, accompanied by her heart. She blinked several times in a row, clearly struggling to maintain her calm demeanor, for the sake of her son. However, after a few minutes of standing still like a statue, she called down her husband.

"Gerald! Get in here!"

Kyle was on the verge of tears now. If his mother reacted the way she had, what would his father say?  
Gerald rushed downstairs as quickly as he could, nearly tripping on the stairs. He witnessed his own son practically crying, and his wife on the verge of one of her "episodes". Ike joined them shortly after, confused about the whole situation. He was too young to understand most of the words his mother was using, but her gestures and loud voice told him more than words ever could. She was angry at Kyle and scared, while her husband was trying to calm her down.

"Gerald! Do you know what this means?!"  
"Honey, please, calm down. It's nothing."  
"What do you mean 'it's nothing'?!"  
"It's normal for young boys to be... confused about their sexuality."

Sheila yelled at Gerald some more, making Kyle feel as if he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. He was starting to resent Kenny for convincing him to tell his mother, even though it was just a dream.

* * *

After a few more minutes of yelling, Sheila decided to remove Kyle from school, to get him away from Kenny. She asked Kyle several times who the other boy was, but Kyle completely shut down after hearing her yell to both his father and himself. She eventually gave up on finding out and simply decided to take action against it.

* * *

Later that day, Kenny arrived at school late, as usual, apologized for his tardiness and entered the classroom. He immediately noticed Kyle, who usually sat at his side, was missing.

"Hey, where's Kyle?" Kenny whispered to Stan.  
"No idea." Stan whispered back.

"_I wonder where he is..._"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Kyle's home, the red-haired boy prepared himself for what would be the first of a long slew of homeschooling lessons.

"Alright, Kyle, I'm going to be your teacher from now on. Since you..."

Kyle blocked out his mother's voice and focused on what was going on in his life. His father didn't seem too worried about his newfound sexuality, but his mother was overreacting to what seemed so innocuous to Kyle.

* * *

Shortly after their class was over, Kenny and Stan approached Ike to ask him about the whereabouts of his big brother.

"Hey, Ike."  
"Hi, Kenny."  
"Where's your brother?"  
"He's staying home. Mom said she's... home...schooling him."

Ike was hesitant to share the details of his brother's situation, yet he was trying his hardest to pronounce the words properly. He knew Kenny and Stan were Kyle's best friends, so he also knew he could trust them with the information he was sharing.  
Cartman noticed his friends were talking to Ike, so he started heading toward them. Once Ike noticed this, he closed up and walked away.

"What were you guys talking about?" Cartman asked.  
"None of your business, fatass." Kenny replied.

* * *

**PRESENT**

Keith fell asleep like the previous night, so Kenny left again to be with Kyle.

"_I wonder why Keith fell asleep so soon... He must've slept poorly last night._"

Kenny approached his husband and kissed him gently on the cheek after getting in bed with him.

"Still awake?"  
"...Yeah."  
"What'cha thinkin' about?"  
"I'm kinda excited for tomorrow. I haven't had a day for myself in quite a while... Thanks, Kenny."  
"Anything for you, Kyle."


	3. Fun

I'm thinking about starting a new romance series on another show. It won't be gay, though, like this one. I already have a plot lined up for two stories (one is a sequel), but I need to check a few things first. I also have to see how it goes, to judge whether or not I want to continue with the series.

* * *

Keith woke up with the sun shining through his bedroom window and slowly rose up from his bed, yawning loudly. Kenny and Kyle woke up to the same, but they were quicker to rise, since they knew what to expect.

* * *

Kenny and Kyle rushed to the bathroom to shower and shave. By the time Keith arrived in the bathroom, it was locked from the inside, and he could hear Kenny showering and Kyle shaving.

"_Damn... Oh well. I guess I could check my email while I wait, or something..._"

Keith dragged himself back into his bedroom and turned on his computer, to amuse himself while he waited for his parents to finish preparing themselves for a new day.

* * *

Almost an hour later, the whole family had gathered in the kitchen for breakfast and a revelation as to what Kenny and Kyle were going to do together.

"Keith, today we're going to the old amusement park near the edge of town."  
"Cool! Can I come too?"  
"Of course. It's a day for the whole family."

"_But mostly for Kyle._" Kenny thought. "_He's been feeling depressed; I can tell._"

For once, Kenny was right. He didn't understand why, and neither did Kyle, but the green-eyed boy had been feeling increasingly depressed. He had everything he ever wanted – a good job, a bright future, a family – yet he had never felt so sad in his life, even when he had been forced to be away from Kenny by his mother.

"_What's wrong with me?_" Kyle thought as he ate the breakfast he had prepared for himself and his family. "_Hopefully today will fix it for good..._"

* * *

Later that day, the McCormicks gathered outside the only amusement park in their small town, trying to decide where to head to first.

"What about the roller coaster?" Keith suggested.  
"Sure." Kyle replied. "That could be fun."

Kyle took Kenny's hand and lead him and their son to the roller coaster, where they purchased a ticket, waited patiently for their turn for almost half an hour, and got on the very last seats when the time came.

"These seats aren't very good." Kyle complained.  
"They're fine; trust me, it's gonna be awesome." Kenny said.

The roller coaster began a slow ascend, until the very top. Kyle took a deep breath and prepared himself for the quick descent, followed by the rest of the course.

* * *

Once they were done with their ride, Kenny, Kyle and Keith discussed it.

"That was awesome!" Keith said. "Can we do it again?"  
"Maybe later, kiddo." Kenny replied. "Right now we have some other places to visit."  
"OK..."  
"Kyle?"

Kyle stared off into the distance for a while before he noticed his family was waiting for him to speak.

"S-Sorry, what were you saying?"  
"I was gonna ask where you wanted to go next."  
"I dunno... Maybe the haunted house?"  
"Sure! That could be fun! Right, Keith?"  
"Right, dad."

Kenny could tell he was beginning to lose Kyle, so he tried his best to cheer him up. He tried everything, from laughing at almost every chance he could find, to spitting out random lame jokes to see if Kyle would laugh. Eventually, however, he simply gave up and decided to leave him alone for a while.

"_I gotta let him come around on his own. This is gonna work. It has to._"

Kenny was starting to lose hope in his plan, but he tried to hang on to it, for lack of an alternative.

* * *

After the McCormicks left the haunted house, Kyle was starting to feel somewhat better. He looked relaxed; almost happy. Kenny smiled to himself, realizing that his husband was improving with each passing moment.

"_It's working... I can hardly believe it._"

"Where do you want to go now?" Kenny asked Keith.  
"Can we go to the house of mirrors?"  
"Sure, kiddo. Whatever you want."

"_What I **really** want is to go on the roller coaster again..._" Keith thought as he nodded.

* * *

The family waited in line to buy a ticket to go into the house of mirrors. Unlike the roller coaster, the line for the house of mirrors was short, so it only took the McCormicks a few minutes to get their tickets.

"C'mon, let's go!" Keith yelled from the entrance.  
"We're right behind you, kiddo."

Keith ran into the house of mirrors alone, followed by his parents. They lost track of Keith almost immediately, due to his speed, but quickly caught up once he ran into a mirror by accident.

"Ow..." Keith moaned.  
"Are you alright, kiddo?" Kenny asked.  
"Yeah, dad... It just hurts a bit." Keith replied as he rubbed his forehead.

"_I'm surprised you didn't break the mirror._" Kyle thought.

The McCormicks slowly crossed the long hallway, stretching their arms outward to feel the mirrors around them, until they bumped into a mirror that was right in front of them.

"_Dammit!_" Kenny thought. "_I'm sure Kyle's gonna be pissed after this..._"

Kenny turned his gaze toward Kyle, and was surprised to find his husband smiling. Keith also noticed this and smiled himself, before Kyle's smile faded and he continued along the designed path, leaving the rest of his family behind.

* * *

After the family made their way across the maze of mirrors, they had another decision to make: where to go next.

"What about the bumper cars?" Kyle suggested.  
"Sure!" Kenny said excitedly.

Kenny's excitement was short-lived when he realized that he was too tall to fit comfortably in a bumper car, unlike his husband and child, who were a perfect fit. However, rather than complain, for fear that it would make Kyle sad, Kenny stuffed himself into a bumper car anyway, with his legs crushed under the steering wheel.

"_Try to ignore it._" Kenny thought. "_It's worth it. For him._"

A bell rang, indicating the beginning of a round of bumper cars, and everyone started crashing against each other. Kenny's legs kept hitting the steering wheel, causing him some pain and discomfort, but he did his best to overcome it, always thinking about Kyle's well-being.

* * *

Once the family got off the bumper cars, Kenny could barely walk, which Kyle noticed.

"What's wrong, Ken?"  
"Yeah, dad. You look like you can barely walk."  
"I'm fine. Just a little sore."

* * *

Several hours later, the day was almost over, so the men decided to do their kid a favor and got in line for the roller coaster a second time.

"Really?!" Keith asked excitedly.  
"Sure, kiddo." Kenny said.  
"Thanks, dad. You're the greatest!"

Keith ran toward the roller coaster to get in line before his parents even had time to say anything else.

"C'mon, Kyle. Let's go, or we'll lose him."

Kyle rushed after his son, followed by Kenny. Once they arrived, they found Stan waiting in line and started talking to him.

"Hey, Stan!" Kenny and Kyle said at the same time.  
"Hey, guys."  
"How are you doing?"  
"I'm OK. Just waiting to buy tickets for me and my family, so we can go on the roller coaster. You?"  
"Same. This is our second time today."  
"How long have you been here?"  
"A while. We've been here most of the day."  
"How come we didn't run into you sooner?"  
"No clue."  
"This line sure is taking a long time..."  
"It's normal. It's the longest line in this place."  
"But it's worth it." Keith said.  
"Where're your kids?"  
"They went with Wendy to get some cotton candy for the four of us... There they are right now." Stan said as he pointed to the rest of his family.

Keith was happy to see two of his best friends – Aaron and Dave – and they, in turn, were happy to see him. The boys started talking loudly about the games they had been playing, while the adults talked about different issues, like politics and the economy, something which bored the boys to no end.

* * *

After a while, the McCormicks and Marshes got on the roller coaster, this time on the first group of seats. Kyle was excited to go on the roller coaster again, but his excitement was almost nothing compared to Keith's.

"We've got the best seats!" Keith said.  
"We sure do, kiddo. This is gonna be awesome." Kenny replied.

* * *

Once they were done with the roller coaster, the McCormicks and the Marshes left the amusement park and headed home. Kenny cooked dinner for his family and followed Keith into his bedroom, where he resumed his bedtime story.

"Alright, Keith, are you ready to hear the rest of the story?"  
"Sure, dad."  
"Well, like I said yesterday, we were at school, and..."

* * *

**THIRTY THREE YEARS AGO**

"Oh, shut up, blondie!" Cartman yelled. "Let's just get to class."

* * *

Later that day, Kenny decided to check on Kyle at his home. He knocked on the door and rang the doorbell, but nobody came.

"Kyle! It's me! Open up!"

A few second afterward, Kenny heard footsteps getting closer to the door, until the door opened and he was faced with a very sad Kyle. He looked like he'd been crying, which raised red flags to Kenny.

"What's wrong? You look awful."  
"I was just... Nothing."  
"C'mon, Kyle... Something's wrong. Just tell me what it is, and we can talk about it."

"_What's wrong is that I like you a lot more than I should._"

"It's fine, Kenny."

Kenny realized Kyle didn't want to tell him what was wrong, so he decided to change his approach.

"So, I hear your mom is homeschooling you."  
"Who told you that?"  
"Ike."

"_I should've known..._" Kyle thought.

"Is it true?" Kenny asked.  
"Yeah."  
"Is it related to... the other thing?"  
"There is no other thing."  
"Kyle, you're a terrible liar. Always have been. I know something's going on here."

Kyle was hesitant to tell Kenny the whole truth, but he didn't feel comfortable lying to Kenny either.

"...Alright, so maybe something's going on."

"_Finally! Some progress._" Kenny thought.

"OK... What is it?"  
"It's... private."

"_So that's how it's gonna be... Fine. Whatever._" Kenny thought.

"So where are your parents?"  
"Mom is shopping, and my dad is at work."  
"I thought your mom worked too?"  
"Yeah, she quit to... homeschool me."  
"Why is she homeschooling you?"  
"It's related to... the other thing."

Kenny noticed Kyle was opening up a bit, so he decided to take a chance. He pretended to be checking the time on his wristwatch and came up with an excuse to leave.

"Damn... Sorry, I gotta go."  
"Already? You just got here."  
"Yeah, it's... my brother, and-"  
"Please stay..."

One look at Kyle, and Kenny regretted lying to him. He looked like he was about to break into tears, which Kenny thought was weird, but he ignored it and simply focused on making Kyle feel better.

"...I can stay for a little while longer."  
"Thanks, Kenny."

* * *

The boys headed upstairs into Kyle's room, where Kenny found a recently-opened box of tissues next to a pile of used tissues and a trash can.

"_So you **were** crying... And you have terrible aim._"

"Sorry for the mess... I wasn't expecting company."  
"It's fine. You should see **my** room."

Kyle chuckled and smiled, something Kenny hadn't seen in a while. He smiled back at Kyle and took off his hood. Kyle's heart skipped a beat when he did this. Kenny's rosy cheeks, his bright blue eyes and his medium-sized dark blond hair made him the most attractive boy Kyle had seen in his life.

"_Why do you make me feel this way, Kenny? I only wish... I wish you felt the same way about me._"

Kenny noticed Kyle was staring at him, clearly thinking about something that he had mixed feelings about.

"What are you thinking about?"  
"...It's nothing."

"_Right..._"

"So, what kind games do you have on your computer?"  
"You know, the usual: action games, driving games, an RPG or two... I just installed a new one, by the way. Wanna see?"  
"Sure!"

* * *

Kenny and Kyle were so distracted playing Kyle's game that they didn't even notice Kyle's mom arriving.

"Kyle! I'm back!"  
"OK, mom! I'll be there in a minute!"

Kyle paused the game. turned to Kenny and smiled.

"You should go. I don't think my mom..."  
"What?"  
"...Nothing. You should go."

Kenny didn't understand why Kyle was sending him away, but he wasn't going to argue either.

"_It's his house, after all... I'll just leave._"

Kenny headed toward the door, but Kyle beat him to it and hugged him before he could open the door.

"Thank you for staying with me, Kenny."

"_OK... Getting a little awkward now._" Kenny thought.

Kenny hugged him back on instinct, somewhat weirded out by Kyle's sudden hug. Kyle released him after almost half a minute, with tears in his eyes. Just as tears began rolling down Kyle's cheeks, Kenny gently put his hand on his face and wiped away his tears. Kyle placed his hand on Kenny's and stroked it gently. The boys stood like that for a few seconds until they heard Kyle's mother coming up the stairs. Kyle rushed for the box of tissues he kept on his bed and dried his tears and tossed the used tissue in his bedroom's trash can just before his mother opened the door to his room.

"Hello, Kenny."  
"Hello, Mrs. Broflovski."  
"Kyle, are you ready to resume your classes?"  
"Sure, mom. I'll see you later, alright, Kenny?"  
"Yeah... yeah..."

Just as Kenny exited Kyle's house, he became consumed by a single thought.

"_What the hell just happened? I was standing there, and Kyle... He started crying. Why did he start crying?_"

Thinking about Kyle in tears made Kenny's chest feel funny. His heart started racing, and it brought tears to his eyes as well. He didn't understand what was going on, so he decided to stop thinking about it and headed home.

* * *

Later that night, after the Broflovskis had dinner, Kyle brushed his teeth and lied down to sleep. His mother stayed up, discussing Kyle's newfound sexuality with his father.

"Sheila, I think we should talk to Kyle."  
"There's nothing to talk about, Gerald. I'm keeping him out of school for his own good."  
"Sheila, we both know it's completely normal."  
"It's not normal!"

Sheila and Gerald kept talking, with Kyle hearing every word from his bedroom. He started crying and covered his ears, trying not to pay attention to his parents' argument, but it was impossible. His mother's voice was too loud, and his father's was increasing in volume as well the more his mother yelled at him.

"_I can't believe I actually listened to Kenny... It was the worst thing I could've done._"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Kenny's house, the blond boy was still thinking about the moment when everything stood still. With each passing moment, Kenny's mind focused more intensely on one thing.

"_I should've kissed him when I had the chance..._"

Kenny lied down on his bed, closed his eyes and tried to imagine what it would be like to kiss Kyle. At first, he smiled at the thought, but then he remembered why he would never have a relationship with Kyle beyond simple friendship: Kyle's personality. Everything about him other than that was perfect – his piercing green eyes, his rosy cheeks, his red hair and light, soft skin – but his personality was a deal-breaker for Kenny.

"_He's way too sheltered. There's no way I'd date him._"

* * *

**PRESENT**

"So how come you guys got together anyway?"  
"Have some patience. I'm getting there."  
"Can't you just skip to the end? I really want to know how you two got together."

"_Impatient, aren't you? You take after Kyle._"

"Relax. The story's almost over."  
"OK, dad..."

* * *

**THIRTY THREE YEARS AGO**

The following day, Kyle woke up at about 9 AM, as was normal for a weekend. He slowly rose from his bed and yawned loudly.

"_No dreams tonight... That's probably for the best._"

* * *

Meanwhile, as Kyle dragged himself to the bathroom, Stan woke up. Unlike Kyle, Stan had been dreaming all throughout the night and was brimming with energy.

"_Boy, do I feel good. I should ask Kenny, Kyle and Cartman to go out with me. Although I should probably wait until after lunch to call Kenny. Guy's lazy as hell._"

* * *

Later that day, true to his word, Stan contacted his friends. First, he dialed Kyle's number and talked to him about his idea.

"Hey, Kyle."  
"Hey, Stan."  
"How are you doing?"  
"A bit tired, but I'll live."  
"Listen, I was thinking about getting the gang together and walk around town. What do you think?"

Kyle became excited by Stan's idea, but there was something else he needed to know.

"...Is Kenny going?"  
"I dunno. You're the first one I called."

"_I hope he's going..._" Kyle thought.

"I'll have to ask my mom first, but I should be able to go."  
"Great! Be near the arcade in half an hour."  
"Sure, Stan."  
"I'll call Cartman."  
"Thanks for the invite."  
"You're welcome."

Stan hung up the phone and quickly dialed Cartman's number.

"Hey, Cartman."  
"Hey, Stan."  
"Do you wanna go around town today with me, Kyle and Kenny?"  
"Sure. I'm in."  
"Awesome! Be at the arcade in thirty minutes. I'll get in touch with Kenny."  
"See ya later."  
"See ya."

Finally, Stan dialed Kenny's number. Much to his surprise, the blond boy was still asleep. Kenny woke up to the sound of his phone's ringtone, groaning and twisting under his bedsheets. At first, he thought it was the alarm, but then he remembered it was Saturday.

"_I should've put this thing on vibrate..._"

Kenny opened his eyes and looked at the caller ID.

"_Stan? I wonder what he wants._"

"Hey, Stan." Kenny groaned.  
"Hey. Did I wake you?"  
"Kind of."  
"Dude, it's almost 2. How are you still sleeping?"  
"Practice."  
"Look, I invited Kyle and Cartman to go with me and roam town. Do you wanna come with us?"  
"When and where?"  
"Thirty minutes; the arcade."  
"I'll be there."

Stan hung up the phone

"_Everything's coming together..._" Stan thought.

* * *

About half an hour later, Kenny and Kyle had gathered near the arcade, as Stan told them to. However, Stan and Cartman were nowhere to be seen, leaving them on their own. Kyle was blushing ferociously, whereas Kenny was thinking about his missed opportunity to kiss him. Finally, Kyle decided to break the silence.

"H-Hey, Kenny."  
"Hey."

Kenny tried his best to act calm, but, deep down, he was boiling with emotion. His gut told him to damn the consequences and kiss Kyle right there and then, but his head was telling him not to. However, his head was losing the fight. Eventually, Kenny brought up the subject he couldn't stop thinking about.

"So, listen... About yesterday..."  
"W-What about it?"  
"...I-"  
"Hey, guys! Sorry for the delay."

Kenny and Kyle turned to the source of the sound and saw Stan, accompanied by Cartman. Kenny immediately let go of his thoughts and focused instead on the day ahead of him.

"Come on, let's go in." Stan said. "I haven't been here in forever."

* * *

Later that night, the boys found themselves all the way on the other side of town. They decided it was time to head home, so they did just that. The first one to split from the group was Cartman, much to Kyle's relief. The second one was Stan, leaving Kenny and Kyle alone. At first, Kenny was just going to walk Kyle home, but Kyle had other plans. All throughout the day, all he could think about was the conversation that Stan and Cartman had interrupted.

"So, Kenny... What did you want to tell me earlier today?"  
"Hm?"  
"You know... About what happened yesterday."  
"O-Oh... That... It's just that..."  
"...What?"

Kenny was too nervous to say what he actually meant, so he decided to lie instead.

"I was just wondering why you started crying."  
"I was... sad."  
"Why?"

Like Kenny, Kyle decided to lie, in order to avoid an awkward conversation.

"It's nothing..."

"_Right... Like I'd buy that, Kyle._"

The boys arrived at Kyle's house before either one had time to come up with yet another topic of conversation. Kyle wanted to hug Kenny in order to say goodbye, but he decided against it at the last minute, instead choosing to shake his hand.

"I'll see you later, Kenny."

Kenny shook Kyle's hand and rushed for his own house.

* * *

**SIX DAYS LATER**

Kenny and Kyle had been avoiding each other for some time, due to what had happened between them at Kyle's house. They could not stop thinking about it, for better or for worse. However, Kenny still kept tabs on Kyle through his brother – Ike. He eventually got Ike to tell him that his mother had been trying to shove homophobic propaganda down Kyle's throat by arguing with their father.  
Neither Kenny nor Kyle told anything about their feelings to anyone, fearing their friends and families' reactions. Kyle's parents kept arguing about his newfound sexuality almost every day, much to his disapproval. He didn't know what to do to stop it, and he was afraid his parents would actually get a divorce because of it. Eventually, he resorted to crying himself to sleep every night, as it was the only way he could actually get some sleep.

* * *

Kenny woke up to the sound of his phone's alarm at exactly 6 AM. However, he didn't get up right away. As was common for him, he had spent most of the previous night awake, playing games on his computer. He always regretted it the next day, but he hadn't learned his lesson yet.

"_I really need to stop playing all night._"

* * *

After their first class was over, Kenny and Stan had gathered away from Cartman, where they could talk about Kyle in private. Of course, only Stan knew the reason why he wanted to be away from Cartman. Kenny found out later on, as Stan wasn't trying to hide his reasons.

"So, Kenny..."  
"Yeah?"  
"It's about Saturday."  
"OK..."  
"What did you and Kyle talk about before me and Cartman arrived?"  
"Nothing that concerns you."  
"Look, Kenny, I'm not Cartman. I'm not gonna give you crap for liking him."  
"I **don't** like him. He's way too shelter- We've had this conversation before."  
"But you **do** like guys, right?"

Kenny was hesitant to tell Stan about his sexuality, but he decided to do it anyway.

"_Like Stan said, he's not Cartman. He can be trusted._"

"...Maybe."  
"I knew it! The second you said Kyle was too sheltered I thought that."  
"Shh! Keep your voice down."  
"Oh. Sorry." Stan whispered. "Listen, the real reason I brought this up again is because I think Kyle likes you. He just seems so... giddy when you're around."  
"'Giddy'?"  
"Yeah."  
"...Anyway, like I said, he's too sheltered... I mean, I get the appeal – he's gorgeous, but his personality is a no-go for me."  
"I didn't even know you cared about someone's personality."  
"I'm not an idiot, Stan."  
"Right... Listen-"  
"What are you guys talking about?" Cartman yelled.  
"Nothing, Cartman. Go away."

However, Cartman didn't leave. He knew Kenny and Stan were talking about something important, and he was far too curious to let it go. Instead, he made certain to stick next to them and never left their side for the rest of the day.

* * *

That night, Kyle's father approached him in his bedroom. He decided that he and his wife had been trying to avoid the issue of Kyle's sexuality for far too long.

"Kyle? Are you still awake, buddy?"  
"Yeah, dad."  
"Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something."  
"Let me guess: it's about me liking another boy."  
"Yeah."  
"...Are you and mom getting a divorce? You argue almost every night..."  
"Nah, buddy. We're not getting a divorce. We only argue because we're worried about you."  
"...What's wrong with me?"  
"Nothing, Kyle... It's just... Well, your mom didn't expect you to tell her what you did. If you had come to me instead, we might have been able to keep it a secret from her."  
"Why? Why can't she just accept it, like you did?"  
"That's a hard question to answer..."

Kyle noticed his dad was becoming uncomfortable with talking about his wife behind her back, so he decided to ask something that had been on his mind for a while now.

"...Is it normal for a boy to like other boys?"  
"It's somewhat common."  
"What does that mean?"  
"...The majority of people are attracted to the opposite gender, but there's a small group who like the same gender, a smaller group that likes both genders, and an even smaller group that doesn't like either gender."

Kyle became somewhat more relaxed after hearing his father's words. Realizing that there were various groups of people who were similar to him (in that they were uncommon), he smiled.

"Wow, really?!"  
"Yeah, buddy. It's OK to like other boys."

Kyle started crying again, this time of happiness. He hugged his father and wept on his shoulder for a while. Gerald gently patted Kyle's back until he was finally released.

"Thanks, dad. I feel a lot better."  
"I'm glad, Kyle."

Gerald got up and left Kyle's room, where the latter fell asleep, happier than he had been in weeks.

* * *

The following morning, Kyle woke up later than usual. After his conversation with his dad, he had been able to sleep soundly for the first time in a while.

"_That was the best sleep I've had in a long time._"

Gerald's words echoed in Kyle's head.

"_'It's OK to like other boys'... That's what he said. Maybe... Maybe I can... No. I can't. What would mom say? Then again, dad **did** say... Maybe... Just maybe..._"

Kyle's mind raced with thoughts about Kenny. He wanted to go against his mother's wishes based on what his father had told him, but he was too scared of what his mother would say. Kyle kept thinking about his fears all throughout the day, until nighttime came around. It was almost time for Kyle to go to bed, but instead he just stared at the sky.

"_Kenny's eyes remind me of the sky... So pretty..._"

The more Kyle focused on Kenny, the angrier he got at himself and his mother. Eventually, he snapped.

"_Come_ _on, Kyle! Stop being such a coward!_ _Go talk to Kenny!_"

Kyle put on his orange jacket and green gloves and rushed downstairs, much to his mother's surprise. Kyle opened the front door of his house, and Sheila yelled at him to stop and tell her where he was going, which stopped him in his tracks for a few seconds, before he went through the door, leaving her yelling at the top of her lungs, without any response from Kyle.

* * *

Kyle ran toward Kenny's house and knocked on the door several times. Kenny was the first one of his family to open the door and, much to his amazement, he saw Kyle.

"Kenny, could I talk to you outside for a second?"  
"Sure, Kyle."

Kenny closed the door behind him and followed Kyle for a while, until they were a considerable distance away from Kenny's house. At that point, Kyle approached Kenny and finally said what he wanted to in the only way he knew how.

"Kenny, I think you're really smart and pretty, will you please be my boyfriend?"

* * *

**PRESENT**

"No way; he actually said that?" Keith asked as he laughed.  
"He sure did. Like I said, Kyle was very sheltered. He didn't know of any other way to declare his feelings for me."  
"What did **you** say then?"  
"Well..."

* * *

**THIRTY THREE YEARS AGO**

"Kyle, I-I..."  
"Y-You don't like guys, right? Dammit, I should've known-"  
"N-No, that's not it... I... kinda like you too, but..."  
"...But what?"  
"...I dunno. I guess I'm just a little hesitant to date other guys..."  
"My mom told me it's not normal... But my dad said it's actually somewhat common."  
"It's not very common, but it happens."

Kyle was approaching the limits of his knowledge, so he decided to change subjects to prevent Kenny from seeing just how little he knew.

"Look, Kenny... If we just go out **once**... I **know** it can work between us."

"_It has to. I've risked everything to get here._"

* * *

**PRESENT**

"What did you say then?"  
"I agreed with Kyle."  
"Why?"  
"I was... pleasantly surprised by his braveness. He just blurted out what he wanted to say, in spite of everything his mother tried to shove in his head."  
"Then what?"  
"We went out."  
"And...?"  
"Well, you're here, aren't you? It worked out, just like he said it would."  
"You've been together for over **thirty** years?"  
"Yup."  
"I wish **I** could meet someone like that..."  
"I'm sure you will, Keith. Now go to bed. Story's over."  
"What about your first date? You didn't say what that was like."  
"That's a story for another time... Now go to sleep."  
"Alright, dad..."

* * *

Kenny turned off the light in his son's room and headed into his own bedroom, where he lied down next to Kyle.

"Did you finish telling him the story?"  
"Yeah."  
"What did he think?"  
"I think he liked it. Not many people have a backstory like we do. We've known each other for over forty years, and we've been together for over half that time."  
"...I love you, Kenny."  
"I love you too, Kyle."

* * *

Well, that's the end of it. I hope you liked this sneak peek into Kenny and Kyle's future, as well as their past. To answer a question that some of you might have: no, I am not planning on writing a sequel to this and write out their first date.  
This story was an experiment: I wanted to see if I could write something noteworthy and still have it K-rated. IMO, and judging from the lack of reviews, it was a failure.  
I'm probably gonna take a while to post the next story, given that I'll also be working on the new series I mentioned in the beginning at the same time. However, it should be worth the wait.


End file.
